Errors Frequently Made When Negotiating with the IRS

Negotiating with the IRS

The one organization all Americans fear is the IRS. The fear grows becomes more intense when the organization discovers you owe back taxes and make it their mission to hound you about them. A startling number of people try to negotiate with the IRS when they receive a notice that they owe back taxes. More often than not, they make mistakes that cost them a great deal of time, money, and aggravation. Here are the common mistakes made when individuals try to negotiate with the IRS by themselves.

Assuming the IRS Cares

There’s a reason the IRS has the reputation it has. This isn’t a government agency that cares about you. They can’t afford to. Their job is to collect the money needed to keep the government running smoothly and their very serious about their job. Don’t approach them with a story about why you failed to pay your back taxes and expect them to care. They won’t and while you’re trying to negotiate with them, the interest and penalties on your bill continue to grow.

Failing to Fill out the Forms

There’s a surprising number of people who get into trouble with the IRS simply because they don’t take their time and carefully read through the forms they’re filling out, or they don’t double check the forms before submitting them to the IRS. As a result, the IRS isn’t able to properly file the information and the entire process of paying down your back taxes is delayed.

Can I Negotiate with the IRS Myself?

Not Negotiating a Settlement

Yes, the IRS would like you to pay the entire amount you owe them in as short a period as you can and many Americans assume they don’t have a choice. Even though the IRS doesn’t like to negotiate, they do have settlement options that just might be a perfect fit for you. These plans include:

Protesting a Bad Decision

Tax Settlement Attorney

The people who run the IRS and handle your taxing issues are only human, and as such, they do make mistakes. If a mistake is made, don’t follow the example of so many other people and assume there’s nothing you can do about it. You’re entitled to argue any bad decision you believe the IRS has made. Just pay attention to dates and file your appeal as quickly as possible, so you don’t miss the deadline.

Failing to have a Tax Settlement Attorney

The biggest mistake many American’s make when addressing the matter of back taxes is assuming they can resolve the matter on their own. No matter how large or small the issue may be, the single best thing you can do is trying to handle it on your own. Simple having an experienced tax settlement attorney on your side rules out the possibility of any mistakes being made. Plus, having a tax lawyer generally hastens the process along.